The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving forward Julius Randle along with a first-round draft selection to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a three-team arrangement that also brings in the Chicago Bulls, according to a source familiar with the agreement who spoke Monday evening.
Minnesota will be sending the 28th overall pick in Tuesday’s draft to Brooklyn, while receiving the 33rd pick — a second-round selection set to be announced Wednesday night. The source spoke to the Associated Press under the condition of anonymity, noting the deal has yet to receive the necessary sign-off from the league office.
ESPN, which broke the story, reported that the Bulls would receive Nic Claxton from Brooklyn as their piece of the transaction.
The move carries major financial implications for Minnesota. It generates a $33 million trade exception for the Timberwolves and frees up cap space the team can use to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and pursue additional players when free agency opens.
Randle, a three-time All-Star, will now be suiting up for his fifth NBA franchise. He previously played for the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans, New York, and most recently Minnesota. This past season he averaged 21.1 points per game, though he struggled with efficiency — shooting just 39% from the field and 24% from three-point range across Minnesota’s 12 playoff games.
Claxton wraps up his seventh NBA season, all of which were spent in Brooklyn. He averaged 11.7 points per game this past year.
